However, the whacking mentality still pervades and it is refreshing to see young Johnny Connors of Letterkenny stroking the ball around the table with a minimum of force and yet compiling big breaks. Many local members of the club were fortunate to see world class billiards being played. But what we cherish most about billiards is its social aspect. Every time we step into Star Billiards & Club, we’re enveloped by an atmosphere that speaks volumes of its prestige. This is considered as the most difficult time especially when you are all alone. "The one thing that I always make clear upfront is that we are not a networking space. The clubrooms were opened and blessed one Sunday after Mass in 1952 by Canon McMullin and Fr. Canon McMullin's idea was that the boys of the town would play snooker while table tennis (which had a separate committee) would be available to both girls & boys. Packie Hanna played table tennis in Strabane and in other venues. It was 4d a game when Packie Hanna started, which was also the price of the front seats at the pictures; he remembers cowboy pictures on Market Days being very popular! It was 3d a game when John Hanna started in the fifties.
When we first started out, the club had our own cues which we lent to other members. The Club now occupies the first floor of the building. He recalls Canon McMullin telling the committee to go away and decide what they wanted and they did; a second storey on the building which could host fundraising functions was mooted but rejected on the grounds that it would cost too much. Membership was buoyant and the fundraising measures were successful. The annual membership fee was half a crown in the mid-fifties and £1 per family. Ten shillings was the annual membership fee in the early fifties with clocks in operation. It has provided the club with its only written record from the fifties and solves the puzzle as to when the club was built. Alta Club members have access to the club’s physical amenities (which include a gym, steam room, salon, and the option to book onsite hotel rooms for themselves or clients) and programming. Later Johnny McHugh would write your name in a book and you waited until your turn came. The present system is akin to the original one in that the caretaker writes the names and has total control over the book.
One of the three tables was dismantled and lay in the hallway and one eventually ended up in Pettigo. The table still standing lay idle and this situation persisted for years. The memories are still fresh in the minds of those members who witnessed funny incidents or played with "characters" over the past fifty years. Several of these players are sadly no longer with us but their styles of play influenced those who came after. Current senior members still recall memorable shots played over thirty years ago and the styles of the competitors then. Players' styles changed over the years, especially with the advent of televised coverage in the seventies. The club has undergone major changes over the past fifty years, and not just on the tables front. The fact that the club is still going strong fifty years after its foundation is a fitting tribute to the man. Mickey Harte from the Mullins was a man fondly remembered by several older members, along with his cousin Pat Harte. Canon McMullin died on Wednesday, October 27, 1954 and such was the esteem in which the man was held that his funeral made the front page of the Donegal Democrat. The last Canon McMullin Cup to be contested in the fifties was the 1958 tournament and the trophy remained uncontested until 1967 and then again until 1976. What happened?
The curate Fr. Deeney played snooker, although Canon McMullin did not. The impact of televised snooker was considerable with players like Alex Higgins demonstrating a dynamic form of snooker, which was alien to what had gone before. Advances in pool table materials, cue technology, and ball design by leading brands like Brunswick and Aramith keep the sport innovative and attractive. Other games like Golf, Skittles and Lives were also useful in cutting the queue. There are so many simulated games options to choose from, you'll find yourself playing daily to keep up with progress. Niall Keenan and Charlie Murphy's centuries are evidence of that. Members have unlimited access to the club’s offerings, meaning haircuts, shaves, chair massages, shoe shines, the conference room, and cozy places to sip coffee and work remotely are included. I have a window open, said he. The paper over each window was impenetrable to light, and a blue curtain was drawn across the glasswork in front. Neil Gillespie of Malin Rd., Moville was commissioned on November 14, 1951 by Mr. Gallagher to supply the oak front door and frame, plus five other doors. Today, I walk right through the club’s front doors. As stated earlier, the club had three tables in the right side of the clubrooms and this situation lasted throughout the fifties.
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